Good battery, no power

[98_Defender]

Hey guys

I am begging to learn about the joys of automotive electrics.

So here is the story,

about a week ago, my starter motor died, i had been keeping it going with the love tap on the starter but it eventually died. So replaced the starter motor with a new one from the wreckers, (i saw that it worked).

Heres where it gets tricky, due to a misunderstanding, when the new one went in, he connected the positive to the earth on the starter and the negative to the solenoid. this created a short when we went to reconnect the battery, so swapped the wires around (on the starter and solenoid) and no spark. problem solved, ahhhh nope. I now have no power at all, no lights no ignition nothing. I have tried using a different, proven battery, same thing. Checked the fuses in the engine, (the three big ones, 60amp 40 amp and 30 amp i think) and cheked the ones, in the cab. No blown fuses. Used a multimeter, there is power to the internal fuse box.

So what have i done?!?!?!? if anyone could give me any ideas i would be very gratefull.

Oh its on a 300TDI Defender 110 cab. Tried searching but i couldn't find anything, sorry to repost if this has happend before,

Tommy

[bee utey]

I would check the voltage across the battery terminals first, then battery from positive to body, then from positive cable at starter to engine block. If all of these check out then turn on a load and see if the power is still there at the various points. You may have blown the solder out of a cable crimp end.

[Blknight.aus]

the fusable links gone.

[wrinklearthur]

Hi Tommy

As Bee utey has said, the end of one of the cables has been damaged.

Check also, the continuity of the earth cables between the negative battery terminal and the chassis, then between the negative battery terminal and the motor.

Cheers Arthur

[camel_landy]

Double check the -ve.

As a test, just run a jump lead from the -ve on the battery to one of the mounting bolts on the starter. If that works, you know where the problem is. ;)

HTH

M

[austastar]

Hi,
no expert on this, but on my Defender when I take the battery out, there are 2 positive connections to the front (+) terminal.
I suspect the top one goes to the fuse box for all the normal fuse things, and the bottom one goes through a megafuse before the big cable to the starter motor.
Perhaps you have blown this big (huge) fuse.

One other thing (probably won't apply to yours, mine is a 2009 Puma) read the owners manual on the 'battery removal'.
I have to have all power off, windows up and then put the key in, turn on ignition, turn it off, remove key and then disconnect the pre loosened earth lead.
Other wise mine won't start when the battery is re-connected.
cheers

[Loubrey]

I'll be reading the bl**dy manual next time! When we went overseas for three weeks I just disconnected the positive terminal on the Puma and left it like that for the duration. When we got back I just reconnected and all was fine (except the stereo gone into "code required" mode). Sounding like I was just lucky with no extra issues!

Back to topic, I'd be checking the fusable link as well as Blknight.aus suggested.

[98_Defender]

Cheers guys, got a few exams this week, so i'll check it on the weekend, by the way, without wishing to sound like a fool.... where is the fusable link.... and what is it, is this like a fuse??

[Loubrey]

Quoted from Wikipedia:

"An electrical fusible link is a type of electrical fuse that is constructed simply with a short piece of wire typically four wire gauge sizes smaller than the wire that is being protected. For example, an AWG 16 fusible link might be used to protect AWG 12 wiring. Electrical fusible links are common in high-current automotive applications. The wire in an electrical fusible link is encased in high-temperature fire-resistant insulation to reduce hazards when the wire melts"

Trace your main power feed back from the battery to the point where the cable has a clear change in thickness (usually pretty well insulated) and check for a melt or break.

Not sure on Aussie spec '98 300Tdi's (from a previous discussion they are apparently electronics free), but if yours is a UK import it might have a simplified version of the Td5 ECU box under the cubbie that control ignition, fueling and EGR. Even if there is one, it is most unlikely that the current would have gotten there though and I'd search the other options first.

[98_Defender]

Hey guys,

checked the fuses, checked the earth all okay, started following the power and i made a mistake, i don't have power at the fuseboard. I have power on a wire that runs past the fuse board from the battery but not a the fuses themselvers. Any thoughts??

[wrinklearthur]

Hey guys,

checked the fuses, checked the earth all okay, started following the power and i made a mistake, i don't have power at the fuseboard. I have power on a wire that runs past the fuse board from the battery but not a the fuses themselvers. Any thoughts??
Hi 98_Defender

A loose connection or a break somewhere, make your self a trouble lamp with a sharp probe to get through the insulation and hook the other earth wire of the light, to a good earth on the chassis and then start tracing the wiring back from the battery positive terminal.

You are looking for the spot on the cable, where the light isn't lit.

Cheers Arthur